Forum

I attended a junior football match this morning and observed a local cricketer refereeing. In the afternoon I happened to check recent posts on Ulster Cricketer Forum and lo and behold there is a post from the same referee. Based on his performance in the middle this morning I hope he doesn't take up the umpiring. Only joking Jason.

To Peter, Paul and "Mary"
When you criticize someone for voicing an opinion you devalue your reply when you make personal accusations. Life would be dull if everyone agreed with everyone and the value of a forum and website is give everyone a platform to express their views. I get plenty of private emails from good cricket people with strong views but they won't go public because they risk personal abuse. We all need to respect each other's opinion so give Andy Kennedy, Ivan McCombe and others some credit for always putting their name to their views. Cricket needs diversity or it will stagnate, but surely we can express opinions without getting personal?

Could "Paul" & "Peter's mate" have another read at my recent posting about Muckamore and then tell me where there is any reference to CI? We have an expression up round here "throw a stone at a pack of dogs and its the one that gets hit that yelps". Do I detect some over-sensitivity perhaps? And don't mistake expressing an opinion as "bias". I had an interesting conversation with "Mr. Angry" on Sunday at Jordanstown when Graham & I sorted out everything, in our opinions, that is wrong with cricket! Congratulations to 'aghey for their youth development - saw a promising example on Sunday.

I'm not sure who "Muckamore player " is but he certainly has nailed the ambition at Moylena. When I heard we were talking to Ryan Haire I never believed we would get him to the club. Last year was tough with one win ( in a meaningless game at Eaton Park ) but the effort throughout the season could never be questioned and Neil Gill's commitment and leadership in holding it all together deserves the highest praise. As a club we promote cricket at all levels and one of our greatest strengths is that the guys on the 1sts are as interested in how the 5ths got on as the guys on the 5ths are about the 1sts. To see those who play at the higher level encouraging those who play more social cricket just epitomises what our club is about. We always look to learn from others and if others can learn from us then cricket in Ireland will continue to grow. We are constantly running fund raising events , knocking on businesses doors asking for help.

Re Andy Kennedy

So yet again your jealousy of CI comes out with yet another dig at that team from East Belfast. If you don't like the club then maybe you should reconsider officiating any CI games this year. Then again with the team your home club have assembled (all for youth development off course)you might decide to watch more.

Re Andy Kennedy @ biased Buckna.
Hardly surprising that you use a post about Muckamore to put the boot into clubs or one club in East Belfast. You are obsessed!! I fail to see what the difference is. Remember as an umpire you should be impartial.

Muckamore player would you not be better making your second pitch playable as it is disgrace instead of building changing rooms

I will be the first to admit that there is a a lot of what I said is down to jealousy. I acted in haste as to what I said , and having been given the facts, I will retract the statement. Your ambition is to be commended and good luck with it.

Excellent appointment-Neil Russell as P.R. to N.C.U.
No finer man, an enthusiast and a lover of the great game of cricket.
Best wishes Neil.

Re Peter,

Buying Section 1?? Wise up you jealous clown!!!

We have signed Jay Hunter from Templepatrick and he hopes to play the rest of his days at Muckamore. Ryan Haire has signed as not only a player but as a Youth Devolopment Officer, a role that we needed filled to continue to improve and grow our youth and to work with the elite youngsters and no better man to fill the post. And we have signed a quality pro in Avadhoot Dandekar, he will be going into schools all over the Antrim Borough along with the usual junior nights and matches. We also have ex Irish International Uel Graham coaching the 1st Xl this coming season and although we got relegated from P/L last season, everyone at the club can see the benefit of having Uel and the improvement he has made to a lot of our players and especially the youngers guys, Uel put in a lot of hours coaching doing one to ones and has been continuing to do so over the winter.

We are a forward thinking pro active club that is on the way up, we spent £10,000 on our ground last season and that included a new £5000 roller, we are also putting an extension onto the clubhouse for all the groundsmans machinery aswell as 2 new changing rooms on the 2nd pitch. We have an extremely hard working committee aswell as sub committees ie, youth, fundraising, cricket. We want to be up there with the best in the NCU and get back into the P/L and consolidate and push on.

We have had a lot of feedback about our signings, most of the knowledgable cricketers and cricket followers out there have commended us and know that we are a club that is doing the right things and have a huge desire to become one of the best in the NCU and Ireland, apologies for being ambitious.

Jealousy is an awful thing!!!!

what an absolutely ludicrous posting by this guy "Peter". Just to point out that Muckamore fielded those teams LAST season so what is this nonsensical 9000 teams? Perhaps you would tell us how many sides your club - if you have one - put out in the 2014 season? As for "buying up the country" I think Peter is getting his geography mixed up. Muckamore is in mid-Antrim, not east Belfast! As an ordinary member of Muckamore I can only surmise that the committee had decided - a decision that I fully support - to appoint a development officer who has a proven record as a terrific player who will "develop" (see that word crops up again "Peter") and build on the progess made. So what is the point you are trying to make "Peter" or whoever you are?

I've heard of buying the premier league , but muckamore buying section one has got to be a new one ? Their fabled youth policy paying dividends . Can't wait to read that they have 9000 teams out each weekend . Not hard when you're signing half the country and paying them

I see Muckamore have been busy. They are planning for the big time and I applaud their ambition. I suspect the section 1 promotion battle is over before a ball is struck. I cant see them losing a single match.

Andy...least we forget!! Probably the only day I have ever regretted umpiring. I have read all the comments on the shortage of umpires and the only thing we can all agree on is that it is a crises and that something must to be done soon. Maybe we don’t sell the positives well enough...Look at what some of the locals umpires have gone on to aspire too. For me I just love the game and now that my playing days are over, what better way to be still involved. Its not just the best view, its that your up close in personal, the consentration on every ball, the decision making and the satisfaction you get from a good day at the office. NIACUS wants to attract people into umpiring who “love the game” who just simply wish to put something back into it and in years gone by this is what we got. However, you cannot force or blackmail clubs into providing Umpires. People have got to want to it for whatever reason. Times have changed and if money is the answer....then

I find Colin's comments on the whole somewhat negative. To be honest I have never come across a colleague "who didn't want to be there" although Kevin & I still rememeber that cold, wet Sunday at Shaw's Bridge when neither of us wanted to be there. Mind you, both teams felt the same way and Kevin took pleuresy out of it and I still get the shivers at the memory! It was like a day in November! On a serious note I realise that experience in playing is not an essential for umpiring but it is an great help. However I would suggest that experience of man-management is an important quality.